Faeries (Phan) {COMPLETED}

*46*

*Marlhy's POV*

Today was the day of the funeral. Although we were all well acquainted with the reality of Phil's demise, it still didn't feel real. I saw Chris repeatedly pinch himself as though it were only a dream and he could wake up any morning to see Dan and Phil cuddling in bed as always.

It wasn't that way, though.

We didn't have a coffin, so we merely dressed Phil up and laid him on a tree bark table I'd fashioned in the grotto. I tried my best to make it look like he was only sleeping - eyes closed, throat stitched up, neutral expression - so Dan would feel a little better. When I thought about it later, though, nothing would have made Dan feel better in that moment.

We sat around the table on our legs. Phil wasn't particularly religious, so we didn't speak a prayer or anything of the sort. Instead, I played a few traditional fairy songs on a pan flute. Chris took Ava's hand and danced with her, as if to lighten the mood a little bit. Dan, alone, stood and danced on his own. I smiled at this, nearly producing a sour note at the change of embouchure. 

After I finished, we took turns talking about Phil. I went first.

"I've known Phil since we were seven," I started, "when he would come see me once a week after school. He was always so sweet to me and I was grateful. On my ninth birthday - I still remember - he brought me all these beautiful flowers, not knowing they were weeds. I'm allergic to weeds, as fairies are, and so I came down with the worst illness for two weeks. He felt so bad he didn't come back for the first week of my sickness, and I thought he'd abandoned me forever. He then came back the second week and never left my side except to eat. It was the best week ever, even though I was sick."

The others smiled at me. I then gestured to Chris to say something.

"Unfortunately, I only met Phil this year, but it feels like we've known each other forever. He was - is - so similar to Dan that I could easily have known him since I met Dan. Phil's a good soul, would never hurt a fly. It's better this way than for him to have killed anyone else. If he'd done that, he wouldn't have been able to live with himself.

"That's too morbid for this, though, so I'll share a happy memory. I remember when I first met him. I'd been sick forever, and that was the day I was finally coming back. I got to the fort, and I saw Dan all touchy feely with some boy. He and Dan were all cuddled up in that sleeping bag in the old fort, and I almost died it was so adorable. I woke them up, and Phil got all scared and Dan was embarrassed. He told me they were 'good friends'. Good friends my ass, amirite?" Chris finished off with a chuckle and Dan smiled through his misty veil of tears.

I looked over at Ava and she nodded. "I also remember when I met Phil. Be a bit strange if i didn't, it wasn't too long ago. It was here, wasn't it? Dan, again, tried to play it off like they were friends, but Chris tells me everything, so I already knew about it. The look on your face when I said I was lesbian, Dan, it was so funny.

"The very next day, I asked him what he wanted for breakfast and he said he wasn't hungry, so I just made food for the rest of us. I set it up on the table and left for a moment to fetch some things, and when I came back, there sat Phil eating my food. I couldn't stop laughing and he was mortified."

Finally, we looked over at Dan. He took a deep breath and began to speak.

*Dan's POV*

"I loved Phil from the moment I met him. We bumped into each other in the forest somewhere and I fell right on my ass. When I looked up to see who it was, I saw a beautiful little boy looking lost and upset, and that did it. He's absolutely gorgeous.

"I remember when we got together, as well. It was after that huge falling out - Chris, he overheard me saying I didn't trust him and he took it the wrong way - when I took him to the grotto for the first time. We sat on that rock after he nearly drowned and I kissed him while he was still soaking wet. It was amazing.

"He wouldn't like it if I was being too sappy at his funeral, so I'll keep it short - I love him so much. More than anyone will ever know. I'd give anything and everything to have him back. He died for me, and that's so special in its own morbid little way. He came to me in a dream I had the other day and told me to be the best fairy ever, and that he was rooting for me. I know he's still looking out for me, and I love him for that. I'll never stop loving Phil."

I was crying now, hard. My curse was gone, so the other three threw themselves on top of me and cried too. We were sobbing loudly in front of Phil's body, and for once that was okay.

I held his hand while I cried. I screamed and yelled and wished all I could for him to be back, but nothing worked.

When we finally ran out of tears, Marlhy stood and gestured to us to stand as well. We took our last looks at Phil and whispered to him as though he were only dreaming. I kissed his hand and rubbed it against my cheek once more before Marlhy cast a spell to make his body vanish.

He was gone for good.

***

I sat in my bedroom, trying to put on Phil's hoodie. It wouldn't fit over my wings and I kept grunting in frustration.

Then, a bit of paper appeared on my bedside drawer. On it, in Marlhy's handwriting, was a simple phrase: "Drap coinn ". 

"Drap coinn," I said. My wings retracted into my back. I slipped on the sweatshirt.